Visit the famous abandoned diamond mining town

Do something different and go on a Kolmanskop Ghost Town Tour, explore the old buildings this former diamond mining town, which is great for photography

If you’re looking to visit Kolmanskop but are keen to have a break from endless desert landscapes, then the small port town of Luderitz is the place for you. The cool breezes coming off the Atlantic Ocean offer a welcome respite from the desert heat which is another attraction of staying here, rather than inland at Aus, during the warmer summer months. Although Luderitz is reasonably limited in places to stay and things to do in the town itself, it’s a pleasant enough spot to spend a couple of nights when making the essential visit to breathtaking Kolmanskop.

The diamond rush started in the late 1900s and within a few short years Kolmanskop was a thriving town, with an ice factory, casino and somewhat bizarrely, the first x-ray machine in the Southern Hemisphere. Today the old buildings of Kolmanskop, half-filled with sand are one of the iconic images of Namibia, and a photographer’s dream. Tailor made Kolmanskop tours are operated daily from Luderitz, with the local guides able to take you around the town and tell you more about its history – one of the most fascinating stories of boom and bust anywhere in the world. For keen photographers we can also arrange special “early access” permits, which offer the chance to visit before the main tours and capture the incredible buildings in the eerie early morning light.